Such A Pleasant Burn
Amazon MGM Studios (2023).
Who is Oliver Quick and why is he fucking the fresh grave of his supposed friend?
By now, most people have heard about the more salacious and infamous scenes from Saltburn, but here’s a quick synopsis of the film. Oliver Quick, played by Barry Keoghan, is a dorky student that has started attending Oxford College. He longs to befriend fellow Oxford student Felix, portrayed by Jacob Elordi, who is a wealthy, popular, and charming guy who lives a lifestyle that Oliver envies. By a twist of fake fate, Felix befriends Oliver and invites him to stay for the summer at his family’s lavish countryside estate, Saltburn. Things start to come together and fall apart that summer, and Oliver is the mastermind behind it all.
I didn’t know much about the film before I saw it in the theater, so nothing was really spoiled for me. My bff, her boyfriend, and myself randomly saw it while I was on Thanksgiving break. I literally walked into the theater only having seen the preview, so I had no idea what the fuck I was going to see, and the end result is still something I’m thinking about almost two months later.
At first, I felt sad for Oliver as he tried to navigate college life amongst spoiled and mean rich kids; Felix seemed to be the only decent one out of the lot. It was kind of cute and endearing to watch Felix take Oliver under his wing and welcome him into this exclusive circle. Then, when Oliver arrived at Saltburn, I felt embarrassed for him as he made some faux pas that he was unaware of due to his lack of knowledge and etiquette when in a place like that, surrounded by old money people of a certain pedigree. But, as the movie progressed and it became clear that Oliver was not, in fact, as unassuming as he played himself off to be, I felt creeped out, but also intrigued.
Keoghan’s portrayal of Oliver, a character who is innocent on the surface, but sinister once the reveal is made, was excellent. Keoghan moves his character from one that the audience feels sorry for, to one that the audience wants to stay away from. Keoghan was outstanding at showing little pieces here and there of Oliver’s true intentions, and just how dangerous it can be when you let a stranger into your blessed life.
On top of that, Elordi is also excellent in this film. Over the last handful of years, he’s made a name for himself playing the asshole character Nate Jacobs in Euphoria, so it was refreshing to see him play a different type of character, kind of. Yes, Felix is wealthy, handsome, and popular (like Nate), but he’s kind, affable, and generous with Oliver. He’s also, at times, kind of a brat, sullen, and intensely angry when he discovers that Oliver has been lying the entire time. Elordi played the role impeccably, and I was truly impressed.
There are plenty of ick factors at play in Saltburn, namely, for me, the vampire scene, and the bathtub jizz water scene (iykyk), but as a whole, the film was masterful. It leaves the audience perplexed for almost the entirety of the movie, dying to get to the bottom of who Oliver is, and holding on for the ride while getting there.
When the credits started rolling, my bff, her boyfriend, and myself sat in silence for a couple of moments, almost in shock and trying to process what we had witnessed. The first thing we agreed upon is that the movie was weird, creepy, gnarly, and totally awesome! It’s twisted in a way that makes the audience recoil, yet pay complete attention the entire way through. Honestly, I think it’s one of the best films I’ve seen all year, and I know I’ll continue to think about it for a while to come.